So far, the topic of underrepresentation of women in science has been concentrated on ability and cognitive differences. These differences have made people uncomfortable and uneasy because they imply that women are born unable and this inability to suc…
I stand corrected. THIS is my favorite paper that we have read – while some parts were a little “iffy” (looking at you, dated gender-based career example on page 150) like all good friends, there are some things we can overlook to keep a good f…
Ability is not the sole factor responsible for women’s success in the fields of math and science. Other variables such as social environment, interests, and support system also count towards their success. I believe gender difference in cognition is …
There is still an ongoing debate on whether males actually exceed in spatial ability than females. This claim has become a taboo for females in STEM. In “Science, Sex, and Good Sense: Why Women Are Underrepresented in Some Areas …
Why are there fewer women scientists? People noticed the phenomenon behind the question and tried to give an answer. Some researchers related it to cognitive difference between men and women. True, they found some evidences for such difference. Yet non…
By Nicole Murgia
In her essay “Science, Sex, and Good Sense: Why Women Are Underrepresented in Some Areas of Science and Math”, Diane F. Halpern uses the biopsychosocial approach to describe the different contributing factors that lead to the possi…
There is an underlying assumption that reveals the gender bias in society when one asks, “Is the underrepresentation of women in the sciences and math caused by sex differences in cognitive abilities?” Diane Halpern acknowledges that it presumes a …
“Math Class is Tough”
By: Shannon Laughlin
The belief that women and men have different rational and emotional proficiencies is not a new idea. In fact, the history of science is peppered with claims that if the two sexes seem to differ i…
Sheri A. Berenbaum and Susan Resnick start their essay, “The Seeds of Career Choices: Prenatal Sex Hormone Effects on Psychological Sex Differences,” in Why Aren’t More Women in Science? with an essential acknowledgement …
I’ll be upfront, when I first started this essay I thought that this chapter was going to be another spiel about how the differences don’t matter and that the levels of men and women in fields can be perfectly equal. Not that equality is a bad thin…